So far, so good. Wales built on their draw in Croatia by claiming their first Euro 2024 qualifying win courtesy of Kieffer Moore’s first-half header against Latvia.
This was Wales’s first game in Cardiff since their group-stage exit at the World Cup and a sold-out crowd gave Gareth Bale, the most-capped Wales male player and surely the greatest in their history, a fitting send-off. The Latvia head coach, Dainis Kazakevics, went on the charm offensive in the buildup, talking up Wales’s chances of topping Group D, but this display offered only a smattering of those credentials.
Fifteen minutes before kick-off Bale bid farewell to the Wales supporters who have adored him since he made his debut for his country in 2006 as a baby-faced 16-year-old left-back. A visibly choked Bale, who flew in from California for the game, was presented with a commemorative plaque and cap before addressing the Red Wall who serenaded him as he emerged from the tunnel.
“I’m going to miss playing in front of you,” Bale told the crowd. “It has been the biggest pleasure. I will be cheering [the team] on like you lot.”
Then it was a case of heading inside, fist bumping a few mascots in ponchos, including Aaron Ramsey’s son, Sonny, and taking his seat for the game in an executive box. Bale rose to his feet to applaud when Moore powered Wales in front with a towering header four minutes before half-time, having joined the squad for dinner on Monday evening. He visited the home dressing room before kick-off and spent his afternoon on the golf course.
Domenico Tedesco continued his fast start to life as Belgium manager with a 3-2 friendly win against Germany, making it two victories from two since he succeeded Roberto Martínez in February.
The visitors burst out of the blocks in Cologne, goals from Yannick Carrasco and Romelu Lukaku within the first 10 minutes giving them a 2-0 lead. Niclas Füllkrug pulled one back from the spot just before half-time, giving Hansi Flick's side a glimmer of hope.
That was snuffed out when, with 78 minutes on the clock, Kevin De Bruyne made sure of the result.
Serge Gnabry got on the scoresheet late on, but it was too late for Germany to salvage a draw.
It goes down as Belgium's first win against Germany since 1954. Tedesco got his reign off to an excellent start with a 3-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win against Sweden last Friday, lifting the mood after the team's lacklustre World Cup campaign.
Bale did not want too much fuss when it came to his goodbye. “To have that moment would have been really special,” said the Wales manager, Rob Page. “He deserved that moment for what he’s given us but he sees the bigger picture and he didn’t want to take away from the bigger job, which was three points.”
Page gathered his squad in a huddle on the halfway line a couple of minutes after the final whistle. From a Wales perspective it was job done, regardless of their frustrations at failing to finish off a limited Latvia team ranked 133rd in the world, below Malawi and the Faroe Islands.
Dan James, who teed up Moore for the goal, was lively down the left flank, and Harry Wilson and Neco Williams both had chances to double Wales’s advantage. Williams forced Pavels Steinbors into a flying save, with the goalkeeper pushing his shot on to the crossbar and out for a corner.
Page introduced Nathan Broadhead, Wales’s hero in Croatia, in place of James and the Ipswich forward almost set up Joe Rodon with a smart cross but Wales could not add to the scoreline.
The Swansea midfielder Oli Cooper arrived in stoppage time for his debut in place of Ramsey, who has replaced Bale as captain. The marauding Williams sent another shot wide from distance and Latvia kept pushing for an equaliser but the substitute Renars Varslavans spooned a late chance wide, ensuring Wales are leading the group alongside Croatia heading into the summer, when they host Armenia and visit Turkey.
“We put in a very rigid and tough performance against Croatia to come out with a point, and to back that up today with another three points is massive for us,” said Moore, who registered his 10th Wales goal. “We have got a great start now we have just got to keep building on it. We’ve got new faces in the building and it is looking very good for us.”
